New Beginnings
by GlambertTheHedgehog123
Summary: Rod has just started college as a, what else, business major. His only concern is focusing on his studies and becoming successful. However, when he meets his roommate Nicky, he starts to develop new feelings about himself and his life. Will Rod get everything he signed up for at college? Or maybe he will find something more?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I walked through the college campus cautiously, making sure I could get to new my room without drawing too much attention to myself. I'm not really what you call a "social butterfly", so I really just wanted to get started on my studies. I flipped the stray strands of my ginger hair out of my face and scurried quickly into the dormitory section of the campus. The room numbers on each door weren't even close to mine. After about twenty minutes of wandering around blind, I found my room number. I took a deep breath and thought to myself.

"This is it, Rod," I thought, "I just hope my roommate is nice..." I straightened my red and black striped tie, fixed my blazer's collar up, and adjusted my glasses so that they weren't crooked. I opened the door and covered my mouth in shock at the sight of the room. There was garbage EVERYWHERE! I didn't know you could get stains on the ceiling! I was appalled! There was no way in HELL that I was going to stay there. No, it had to be a mistake. And just as I was about to turn and leave before I fully entered, a head popped out of a pile of clothes.

"Well hi!" He said, digging himself out of the mess. The guy stood up, dusted wrappers off of his indigo ripped jeans and beige hoodie, and gave me a friendly smile. I blushed, gave an awkward wave, and half-smiled. He walked up to me casually and I realized that he was about 8 inches taller than me. I was eye level with his chest, which made me both blush and gulp at the same time. I quickly wiped the sweat from my forehead, cleared my throat, and looked up at him. "You sure are dressed real fancy! Are you a teacher?" I rolled my eyes and handed him my student ID. He took it, read it to himself, and nodded. "OOOOOOOOH!" He said excitedly, "You're my roommate!" His smile grew, making me feel uncomfortable. What was there to be so damn happy about? I snatched my ID from him and looked behind him for a clean place to put my stuff down. He turned around to see where I was looking and laughed. "Oh I'm sorry!" He said, putting his hand on his forehead. "You must want to come in. And I'm standing here blocking your way!" He moved to the side and gestured his arm to the room. "Make yourself cozy!" As I stepped into the room, I could hear the crunch of crumbs underneath my shoes. The floor was sticky for a reason that I didn't want to know and the whole room had a disgusting unrecognizable odor. I winced at the sight of what I thought was my bed. Hard to tell, since it was SMOTHERED IN TRASH! As I was about to place my belongings on the only space that wasn't buried in garbage, the trash twitched. I shrieked,

"OH MY GOD IT MOVED!" And jumped back in fright. My roommate caught me in his arms, laughing hard. I looked up at him and scowled, pushing him away from me immediately. "Don't laugh at me!" He panted, breathless from laughing, and let out one last chuckle.

"I'm sorry," he said, "i-it's just, your scream, it was so priceless!" I put my hands on hips, clenched my teeth, and growled angrily.

"Well I don't think it was funny!" My nasally high-pitched voice cracked when I shouted. My roommate froze and looked at me. I covered my mouth in embarrassment, my face turning my white skin bright pink. My roommate put his hands in his pocket and bit his lip. He reached out to touch my shoulder, but I turned away. I felt nauseous, but it was hard to tell if that was because my anxiety or the odor of the room.

"Hey," said my roommate sympathetically, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset, buddy. I wasn't laughing at ya, honest. I was laughing at...um..." I sighed.

"I know," I said looking down, "My voice is funny..." I frowned. My roommate put his hand on my shoulder and rubbed it gently. I looked up almost impulsively at him, realizing that he was closer to me than I thought. My eyes widened and my face must've been stop sign red.

"Your voice isn't funny," he said, "it's...unique. Yeah! That's the word!" My jaw dropped as the words kept flowing out of his mouth. "I hope you don't hate me because you think I was making fun of ya..." He kicked his foot against the rug and looked down sadly. I gasped lightly.

"No!" I said, louder than I wanted to. When he looked back at me, I cleared my throat and continued. "I mean, uh, no. I don't hate you. I accept your apology and thank you...for all those nice things you said. I don't usually get a lot of nice things said to me." My roommate frowned.

"Well that's a shame. Everyone deserves nice things said about them sometimes." I nodded. "Anyway, lemme get this crap off your bed." I awkwardly held my backpack close to my chest and twirled strands of my ginger hair in my fingers as my roommate "cleaned" my side of the room. "There!" He said, as he clapped crumbs off his hands, "All clean!" I shook my head and tisked.

"I don't think so. Hold this!" I put my backpack in my roommate's arms, opened my suitcase, and finally pulled out a small hand vacuum. I cleaned off the mattress and the area around it in a matter of minutes. I didn't mind cleaning, I found it fun actually. A clean home was a happy home in my book! "All done!" I said, admiring my own handiwork. My side of the room was almost sparkling with cleanliness. My roommate's eyes were wide and his jaw dropped. "I can do your side too if you like." He shook his head as he handed me my backpack.

"No thanks! I have a system going." I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Looks like a landfill to me," I said smugly. My roommate began to speak, but before he could finish, a dirty sock fell on his nose from the shelf. I snickered at that, hiding my smile behind my hand.

"Okay," he said, removing the sock from his face, "maybe I could clean up in here a little."

"A little?" I laughed. My roommate gave me a stern look at first, but then he laughed with me.

"Okay! A lot!" We both laughed for a solid 10 minutes, then I helped him pick up clothes and differentiate between what he should keep, and what he should throw away.

"By the way," he said as he threw away an old sneaker, "my name is Nicholas, but you can call me Nicky. All my friends do!" He smiled brightly at me again, making me blush.

"W-We're friends?" I said shyly. Nicky nodded.

"Of course! I can tell we're gonna be best buddies!" That felt good to hear. I never really had any good friends when I was younger. I was really only interested in my books. I still wasn't sure if I could trust Nicholas, though. I mean, what if this was some kind of college prank to make me look foolish? I had to keep my guard up. Still, it was nice to hear someone wanting to be my friend.

"Okay!" I said with a smile. "My name is Rodney, but, you can call me Rod." Nicky patted my back.

"Nice to meet ya, Rod!" For the rest of the evening, Nicky and I spent all our time cleaning our dorm. It may have been tiresome work, but it was oh so worth it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Finished!" I said, admiring our freshly cleaned dorm. "It's perfect now!"

"And it didn't take long at all! It's only..." Nicky checked the digital clock on the counter and his eyes popped out of his head. "5:30pm?! We've been cleaning for three hours?!" I swooned lightly.

"It felt like a lifetime." Nicky turned to me with confusion on his face.

"Huh?" I blushed red.

"Ah hem!" I coughed, "I, um, meant...oh god! That felt like my whole life has gone by!" I crossed my arms. "And I had to spend it cleaning up your mess!" Nicky put his hands in his pocket and lowered his eyebrows.

"You're the one who asked! If you didn't wanna do it, then you just should've stayed quiet!" I bit my lip. I had forgotten I was the one who suggested cleaning in the first place.

"Well, um, I...I didn't want to be living in a dumpster my whole college experience!" Nicky smirked at me. I was taken aback by this. Why was he looking at me like that? He took out a chocolate bar wrapper and hovered it over the floor. I gasped. "Nicky, Nicky what are you doing?"  
"You don't wanna live in a dump, huh? Well what would happen if I just did..." Nicky threw the wrapper onto my bed. "This?" I scowled at him.

"Pick it up." Nicky closed his eyes and smiled smugly.

"Nope." I growled.

"Nicky, pick it up. Now!" Nicky grabbed a pair of earbuds.

"Nah, I don't feel like it. Besides, it's on your bed. You should really take better care of your things, Rod." I swear I was shaking in anger.

"Pick. It. Up!" Nicky put his earbuds in and began picking a song on his ipod. He was ignoring me! I nudged his arm. "Hey! I am talking to you!" Nicky shoved me away.

"Don't touch me!" It was my turn to smirk now.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you don't like that?" I poked Nicky's arm repeatedly. "Is this bothering you, Nicky?" Nicky grabbed my hands to try and get me to stop, causing us to get into a scuffle.

"Get away from me Rod!"

"You started it" We turned and spun around on the bed, eventually causing us to fall on the floor. Nicky grabbed my hair and I pulled on his.

"Ow! Quit it!"

"Not until you apologize and get that wrapper off my bed!" I tugged harder on Nicky's hair.

"Not unless you apologize for being annoying!"

"You're annoying!" We spun and tossed around on the floor, punching, fussing, pulling, and kicking. Finally, Nicky pinned me to the floor. I fussed to try and break free, but he was too strong for me.

"Ha!" He said panting, "Pinned ya!" I growled and tried to pull myself up, but he kept pressing me to the floor.

"Let me go!" Nicky laughed.

"Not until you say, 'I'm so very sorry for being a neat-freak, Nicky. I won't complain anymore.'" His imitation of my voice was horrible and it made me angrier. I clenched my teeth, pressed my nose against his, and growled,

"Never." Nicky shrugged.

"Suit yourself," he said, "I guess we'll just have to lay like this all night, until you apologize." In the midst of my attempt to break free, I met eyes with Nicky. His eyes were so beautiful, a perfect combination of green and brown. They were so deep, like a cavern deep under the ocean. My body relaxed and my eyelids lowered slightly. I had never felt like this before, so calm and full of...bliss. I nuzzled my nose against Nicky's and gave him a soft kiss. His lips felt so warm and soft. He ran his fingers down my cheek and I blushed lightly. And just as I ran my fingers across the bottom of his shirt, about to pull it off...

"Rod? Hello?" It was Nicky, he wasn't holding me down anymore, just sitting on top of me. "You okay there? You weren't saying anything and I thought you stopped breathing." I propped myself up with my arms and shook myself out of it.

"Wait, I wasn't moving?" Nicky shook his head.

"No, you were just staring at me. I honestly thought you were dead!" I put my hand on my head to check if I had a fever. What the hell was that?

"I-I'm sorry," I said embarrassed. "I don't know what came over me. It, uh, must've been the um...uh...anxiety!"

"Anxiety?"

"Yes! Anxiety!" I smiled bright, enthusiastic that I thought of such a brilliant excuse. "When I get overly nervous, my anxiety makes me, uh, faint with my eyes open! That's it! I fainted!" Nicky got off of me and helped me up with concern.

"Gee Rod, I'm sorry I made you faint. I was just messing around. Are you hurt bad?" I dusted myself off.

"N-No, I don't think so. I'm sorry I pulled your hair." Nicky chuckled.

"That's okay, I wanted to cut it anyway." I laughed with Nicky, who went over to my bed and threw away the wrapper.

"Nicky?" I said, fixing my crooked glasses.

"Yes Rod?" I twirled a stray hair in my index finger.

"H-How about I promise I won't be too much of a neat freak, if you promise not to be so messy?" Nicky smiled and put his hand out.

"It's a deal! Shake on it?" I nodded and awkwardly gave Nicky my hand, who on contact with my hand, shook it up and down, tossing me around like a ragdoll. We both laughed, then went to lay on our own individual beds. Nicky yawned and stretched as he dug himself into his bedsheets. "Well, it certainly was an eventful day! Now I'm bushed, so I'm gonna hit the hay."

"I think I will too." I agreed. "We're going to need our rest for our classes tomorrow." I took off my blazer and began to change, but didn't fully take off my shirt or pants until Nicky wasn't facing me.

"Goodnight Rod," yawned Nicky before he passed out in slumber. I put on my pajamas and laid snuggly into my own bed, putting my glasses delicately on the nightstand.

"Goodnight Nicky." As I made myself comfortable in my bed, I thought of what happened with me when Nicky pinned me. What was that? Why did I even think of that? I had never thought of that before. Nicky said I wasn't moving that whole time, but, it just felt so...real. Would I ever feel that way again, I wondered? I sighed and closed my eyes, hoping that with a good night's sleep I would figure it out in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I was rudely awoken by the alarm clock at exactly 5:40am. I rubbed my left eye and yawned as I hopped out of my bed. Nicky fidgeted and whined,

"What is that?"

"It's the alarm I set to wake us up this morning." I answered from the bathroom. "We have plenty of time to get ready for class and eat breakfast now." I could hear Nicky groaning in the bedroom.

"What makes you think I wanted to get up at 6am?"

"It's not 6am," I answered from the shower, "it's 5:42am." Nicky grunted loudly.

"Ugh, you gotta be kidding me!" Moments later, I came out of the bathroom, my messy bedhead now tamed back with gel and flaunting my new black suit that I bought for the occasion. I walked over to the small drawer in which I placed my clothes and rummaged through it in search of the perfect tie to wear to class. I needed to look dapper and intelligent, but not too intelligent that my teachers would get intimidated. I was stuck between two, one red and one blue.

"Red is nice," I thought to myself, "It's the color of my political party. But, what if my teacher discriminates because of that?" I sighed. I looked over at Nicky, who was laying in his bed with his pillow over his head. I tapped his back.

"Nicky?" I said, "Nicky get up!" I moved the pillow off of his head and saw him sleeping, so docile and quiet. He was snoring lightly as he slept, his little nose twitching. I smiled a little as I watched him. His feet moved around a bit, like a dreaming dog's would. His hair was ruffled up and it rested upon his face. The strands of hair flowed in his breath. I bit my lip, looked around the room, then gently moved the strands of his hair behind his ear. He purred at my touch, which made me gasp quietly to myself. Comfortable, I caressed his cheek soothingly as he slept.

"Mmmm," he cooed. I brightened up. He was...so cute when he slept. Like, like a puppy!

"I hope he doesn't wake up soon," I thought to myself, "This...feels nice. I doubt he'll wake up anyway. He sleeps like a rock, you could probably-" A lightbulb went off in my head. I did one last look around the room, as a precaution. It didn't sound like anyone else had gotten up yet. I sighed with relief, then leaned my face close to Nicky's. He fidgeted a bit as I got close, so I moved back a bit and remained still. I waited a few seconds, then moved in close again. My nose was only a few inches away from his cheek. He smelt better than I expected. It was like, a mixture of musky cologne and pizza. I closed my eyes and puckered my lips, readying myself for what I was about to do. Quickly, I laid small kisses upon his cheek. I did this for about 2 minutes, then suddenly, Nicky moved and groaned. I gasped.

"Shit!" I thought loudly in my mind. As fast as I could, I crawled to the edge of his bed. Nicky fidgeted more and began to sit up.

"SHIT!" Off guard, I messed up my footing, slipped, and fell flat on my face, causing a huge bang. Nicky jumped up out of his covers, his eyes bugged out in surprise.

"What was that noise?!" I groaned and held my head dizzily as I stood up. "Rod?" Said Nicky, as he got out of his bed. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes I'm fine," I said stumbling. "I just...tripped. I didn't mean to wake you, sorry."

"Oooo," said Nicky, looking at my face, "your glasses." I gasped.

"What?! What about them?!" I took my glasses off and saw that they were bent in the middle, so close to snapping in two. I frowned. "Oh no! I don't have any time in my schedule to buy new glasses, not to mention afford them!"

"Hmmm..." Nicky went over to his drawer and dug through it. I turned my head and squinted my eyes so that I could see him.

"Nicky, what are you doing?" Nicky walked over to me, holding a tiny roll of black tape.

"Gimme your glasses." I did as I was told and watched Nicky carefully, making sure he wasn't breaking them even more than they already were. He bent my glasses, breaking them in half. I gasped dramatically and shouted shrilly,

"Nicky! What the hell?!"

"Just trust me on this, ok?"  
"But you just-" Nicky put his right hand over my mouth.

"Trust me." I grunted and lowered my eyebrows at him in anger, but he chuckled. He then proceeded to wrap the black tape around the center of my glasses and placed them back on my face. "There! I used black tape because it's the closest color to the glasses. I figured no one would notice that way." Nicky moved his hand away from my mouth and handed me a mirror. My glasses still fit, and it was true, you couldn't tell they were broken unless you looked really hard. I looked up at him, he looked so built from this point of view. I blushed lightly.

"Thank you Nicky," I said softly. Nicky shrugged.

"Naw, it's what friends do." I half-smiled and giggled. "There's an eye doctor place a few blocks away. If you have your glasses paper thing, I can go pick you up a new pair of glasses."

"But, what about your classes?"

"Aw, I don't mind being a little late. Heck, I'll skip first class if I need to. You being able to see is more important." I blushed more.

"R-Really? You would do that...for me?" Nicky nodded with a smile.

"Of course buddy!" I rubbed my arm and turned away bashfully, smiling foolishly.

"I-I think I have a copy of my perscription in my suitcase." I bent over, reached under my bed and pulled out my suitcase. I opened the first zipper and dug through it, searching for my prescription. "Oh, here it is." Once I had it, I faced Nicky and held it in my hands. I looked at Nicky's eyes, the rising sun's light reflecting off of them. "A-Are you sure you can do this? That it's not too much trouble? Because if it is..."

"Oh stop with that, Rod." Nicky put his hand on mine, I looked down at our hands, then looked back at Nicky. I must've been bright pink by then. "It's no problem, really. I'll have your glasses by lunch. We'll meet up then in front of the registration building, I'll give you your glasses, then we can get lunch together! Sound like a plan?" I nodded quickly.

"Yes that does sound like a plan! A good plan!" Nicky laughed.

"Cool!" He took the prescription from my hand and spun me around toward the door, his hands on my shoulders. "Well you better get going! Don't wanna be late for your first class!" I chuckled as Nicky pushed me out the door with him. He grabbed both our bags, placing mine on my back and his on his own, then he handed me my accounting book. "I'll see you at lunch! Bye Rod!"

"O-Oh! Okay! Bye-" But he was gone before I could finish. I watched him walk away, his backpack bouncing as he walked, expressing his happy-go-lucky attitude. I swooned and held my accounting textbook in my arms. Nicky was so great. So nice, and thoughtful, and generous, and-. Suddenly, I heard snickering coming from behind me. I turned and saw two older guys, pointing and laughing at me.

"Got a crush on your roommate, fag?" I froze, my mouth stuck in an open-mouth frown. "What's the matter, homo? Too in love to speak?" They just kept laughing at me, for hours it felt like. I had never felt so small, so...hurt. I ran away from there as fast as I could, trying to get away from the laughter. But...I couldn't. It was like it was following me. I closed my eyes tight, praying it would go away. They were wrong about me. I wasn't a fag, I wasn't a homo. I was normal! I was ordinary!

"I can't do things like that again," I said to myself, "People will know...They'll know I'm different...they'll laugh at me like those guys did...No, I'm not different...I'm not..." I walked into my class and took the seat farthest in the back, away from everyone else...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

My accounting class felt it would never end. I wanted time to go faster so that lunch would come quickly, but it just made it go by slower. Finally, the bell rang for lunch break. I grabbed my backpack and books and left my classroom as quick as I could. I kept my head down as I passed people, praying that if I ran into the guys who made fun of me earlier, they wouldn't recognize me. Once I was positive that I was no longer in the classroom building, I looked up and searched for the registration building, where Nicky would be waiting for me. I searched every building for a sign or something, but I just couldn't find it. I saw a group of guys standing by the campus fountain. They looked like they were older than me, so I assumed they knew they school better.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," I said, tapping on one of their shoulders. "Do any of you happen to know where the registra..." My voice trailed off as the men turned around and I recognized them. They were exactly the people I was trying to avoid, the guys from earlier.

"Well, well, well." The biggest guy approached me, making me wince in fear. "You stalking me, little queer?" I backed away from him, but bumped into another one of the large guys behind me.

"N-No," I stammered in fear, "I-I-I was just wondering where the registration building was. W-Why would I stalk you?" The guy knocked my books out of my hands. I gave him a really annoyed look. "Real mature." As I bent down to pick them up, the guy behind me kicked my butt, knocking me to the ground. "Ow!" I shouted. "Was that necessary?" The guys smirked and surrounded me. I gulped. "L-Let's be reasonable now, gentlemen. Y-You wouldn't want to stain your expensive looking jackets with my blood, now would you?" The biggest guy cracked his knuckles and smiled.

"I'm gonna enjoy this." I closed my eyes.

"I-If you must hurt me, please punch my right side. My left side is the good one." The guys laughed and raised their fists, moving closer to me, ready to pummel me. Then, just when things looked bleak...

"HEY!" I gasped and opened my eyes. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I smiled bright, a twinkle in my eye.

"Nicky!" Nicky ran over to where we were as fast as he could, pushed some of the guys out of his way, then stood in front of me, eye to eye with the biggest guy.

"What do you think you're doing?" He said. "Ganging up on one guy, five to one, that's just being cowardly." The big guy laughed.

"Aww, look fellas, he's protecting his boyfriend." The crowd laughed at us, I covered my ears. I was so embarrassed, so ashamed. I had to get out of there! Nicky growled at the guys.

"You disgust me," he said. He then reached out his hand to me. "Hey Rod, buddy, it's okay." I looked up at him, sniffling. "Lemme help you up, they won't hurt you now, they're too scared." I looked around, all the guys were staring at me, snickering at Nicky. "Rod, don't listen to them, ok? They're just being jerks." I looked back up at Nicky, tears building in my eyes, but not escaping. I wouldn't let them. I took his hand gently, but before he could lift me up, the guy behind him pushed him on top of me. I gasped, my heart beating a million times a second. The laughter grew louder and louder, then I saw a video camera and that's when I lost it.

"Get off of me!" I pushed Nicky away from me and grabbed my books off the floor as quick as I could. I pushed through the crowd of people and ran as far away from there as possible. I heard Nicky shouting behind me,

"Rod, wait!" But I had to get away, I couldn't take it anymore. Tears leaked down my cheeks, but I was silent, no sobs or sniffling. Just panting. I hid in a nearby alleyway and wiped my eyes angrily.

"Stop it!" I whispered to myself. "Don't be sad, it's not true!" I continued to wipe my eyes aggressively, until suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I gasped and turned, it was Nicky.

"Rod, are you ok?" I nodded.

"They didn't hurt me..." Nicky hugged me in a warm embrace. My eyes bugged out of my head, I pushed him off of me and backed away.

"Don't do that! What if someone saw you?!" Nicky tilted his head in confusion.

"Why does that matter? It's just a hug, you looked like you needed one."

"I don't need anything...except maybe my glasses. Do you have them?" Nicky nodded and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a new pair of dark brown glasses. I took off my current glasses and replaced them with the new ones.

"Do they work?" I huffed.

"Of course they work, dummy." We both chuckled a little, then Nicky put his hand on my arm.

"Seriously though, Rod," he said, "Are you sure you're alright? From what I saw, those guys were being pretty harsh to ya." I kept my eyes focused on the ground.

"Yes, I guess you could say that..."

"What were they saying?" I flinched.

"Oh, you know, standard name-calling, nothing special. Hehe." Nicky looked at me suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you _sure_? 100 percent?" I scowled at him.

"Why are you second guessing me?! I told you the truth! What more do you want from me?!" Nicky gulped and moved back a step.

"Sorry Rod, it's just, if I knew what the problem was, it'd be easier to understand what happened."

"Well I just told you what happened. They were poking fun at me, things got physical, you rescued me. Simple and easy to understand." Nicky smirked.

"Rescued?" I blushed bright red.

"Oh shit," I thought, "I said that out loud?"

"I said defended, Nicky, not rescued. Maybe if you listened to me for once, you'd know." Nicky frowned and looked down. I gasped softly. "N-Nicky, I'm sorry. I'm not ungrateful for what you did. No one has ever stuck up for me before, especially another guy." Nicky looked at me and shrugged.

"I don't see why gender matters, but more people should stick up for you. People shouldn't be bullied because of what they look like or how they act. No one should judge. Well, I won't lie, I have judged before, but I would never bully someone."

"Did you judge me?" Nicky bit his lip.

"Yes..." I sighed and looked down. "B-But I was wrong, Rod! You're a great person, not a snob like I thought." I looked at him and smirked.

"A snob?" He shrugged.

"Well what else do call a person who walks around in a fancy expensive suit and likes clean things?"

"Normal and civilized!" We both burst into laughter then, not caring about what happened earlier. We both smiled at each other, meeting eyes.

"Hey, wanna have that lunch now? I'm buying!" I nodded.

"That sounds nice." I walked side by side with Nicky, who nudged my arm playfully.

"So, what'd you think of me when you first saw me?" I chuckled.

"Slob, absolute slob." He laughed.

"Should've seen that one coming. Hahaha but why?"

"Are you serious? There were stains on the ceiling, Nicholas!" We both laughed all the way to a small diner, where Nicky and I decided to eat. Our lunch consisted of a small salad for me, and a greasy beefy burger for Nicky. We talked about favorite movies, favorite songs, and favorite foods. When I was finally feeling comfortable, Nicky looked at the wall clock.

"Oh crap! We have to go!" Nicky scarfed down the rest of his burger, spraying bits of food on me. I wiped them off and chuckled.

"I thought you didn't care about being late for class?"

"Not my first class," replied Nicky, "but for the others, I kinda wanna make a good first impression." I smiled and before he could rush out of the diner, I grabbed Nicky's arm.

"You're not going to make one like that. Hold still." I wiped his face with a handkerchief I had in my pocket. I fixed his hair so that it was fixed back, instead of sprung up everywhere. "There! P-Per..." I took a good long look at him. He cleaned up very very nicely, his face radiating beauty. "Perfection." He smiled and I felt my heart melt.

"Thanks Rod, you're the best!" He skipped out of the diner with me following behind him. "Oh!" He turned around and looked at me. "I almost forgot. My friend Johnny is throwing a party later on tonight. You wanna come with me?"

"Y-You want me to go with you?" Nicky nodded.

"Sure! Why not? It'll be fun!" I twirled my finger in the strands of my hair that fell down in my face, thinking to myself.

"Well," I said, "I have homework to do..."

"Oh come on, Rod!" Nicky patted my back. "I promise we'll be back in our dorm early enough for you to do your homework." I bit my lip.

"I don't know..."

"Pleeeeeeeeease?" I sighed.

"Please stop making that noise."

"Pleeeeeeeeeonlyifyousayyeseeeeeeeeaaaaaaase?" I grunted.

"Okay okay!" Nicky stopped and laughed.

"Yes! Well, I'll see in you in a few hours to get ready. Catch ya later, Rod!" I waved bye to Nicky, who shrank in the distance. I smiled and walked to my next class. I couldn't believe I agreed to go to a party, but I was actually excited. Nicky and I, together, dancing. Oh, I couldn't stop smiling just thinking about it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

At around 6:30pm, an hour after my classes had ended, Nicky entered our dorm and sprinted into the bathroom. I chuckled as Nicky dug through the medicine cabinet above the bathroom sink.

"So I'm guessing the party starts soon, huh?"

"It starts at 7:30pm, but I need to make sure I look really good for this party." I smirked and rolled my eyes. I got up from the bed, put my book on the nightstand adjacent from my bed, and walked into the bathroom.

"Turn and look at me."

"Huh? Why?"

"Would you just do it?" Nicky shrugged and turned to face me. I paced around him, examining his clothes and maybe...his body. After a few moments, I knew exactly what to do. "Yes!" I said happily. "I know exactly what you need! Wait here a few!" I hummed as I walked over to the closet containing both Nicky's and my clothes. I dug through the many different shirts until I found the perfect one. It was a black long sleeve shirt that had a gray fashionable vest attached to it. I stepped back into the bathroom and handed Nicky the shirt and a clean pair of his jeans I found. "Put these on. They'll make you look great! Not that you don't already..." I stopped myself before I could say more.

"Thanks a heap Rod!" Nicky took his shirt off and began putting on the outfit. I blushed so bright red. He did have muscles, a six pack to be exact.

"Wow," I whispered to myself. Nicky finished dressing and he looked even more fabulous than I thought he would. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled.

"This'll be perfect! I look ready to party, all right!" I giggled.

"What's so special about this party anyway, Nicky? Isn't it just a frat party?"

"Well yes," replied Nicky as he combed his hair in the mirror, "but I'm really excited because someone I think I really like is going."

"Oh really?" I growled.

"Yeah," said Nicky, "I haven't known them for a long time, but, I feel like I can be myself around them." I gasped. That's exactly the way I felt around Nicky. Could...Could it be possible that he was talking about me?

"T-That's nice." I stuttered.

"I know! When I think about them, I've never felt so happy before! Tonight at the party, I wanna do something really special for them to make them understand my feelings." I smiled bright.

"S-Special? Oh I don't know if you'll need to do that, I'm sure they already understand and feel the same. I mean, who wouldn't right?" Nicky blushed embarrassedly and punched my shoulder playfully.

"You're just trying to butter me up, Rod." He laughed and so did I. "But seriously, I need your advice. I asked my buddy who's djing to play a slow song at 9:30 exactly so I can ask them to dance. Then I was planning on serenading them while we dance. Do you think that would be too much?" I swooned as I imagined the situation going on in my head.

"Oh Nicholas, that's so romantic. It sounds absolutely beautiful!" Nicky smiled.

"You don't think it'll be weird?"

"Of course not! I'm sure they'll love it and won't care if it is a little weird, just as long as you're together." Nicky hugged and I hugged him back.

"This is gonna be the best night ever! I'm glad you'll be there with me to have fun. You look like you need a little fun." We both laughed as I shoved Nicky away jokingly. "You're not gonna wear a suit, are ya Rod?" I looked down at my outfit.

"What's wrong with my outfit? It's professional."

"Yeah, but this is a frat party, not a job interview. You're gonna need to look more loose if you want people to approach ya and chat." Nicky walked into his closet and threw a pair of jeans and a white short sleeve shirt at me.

"What was that for?!" Nicky chuckled.

"They're for you to wear." I lifted up the "white" shirt he expected me to put on.

"I doubt these are clean."

"They're a little dirty, but that's okay. Just put them on!" I winced and whined as I removed my outfit and put on the white t-shirt and worn down jeans that Nicky gave to me. "Cool! You actually look like a college kid instead of a teacher now." I scowled at him.

"Oh ha ha. I look like a character out of To Kill a Mockingbird!" Nicky tilted his head, staring at me in confusion.

"To kill a what now?" I rolled my eyes.

"Nevermind, it's not important. Must I wear these clothes?" Nicky nodded.

"Yes, you must. Now," he sprayed me with an extremely musky cologne, "you're done." I waved my hand in front of my face in an effort to swish away the smell, coughing.

"Little much, don't you think?" Nicky shrugged.

"Now come on!" He ruffled up my hair and pushed me towards the door. "It'll take awhile to walk to the party."

"We're walking?" I complained. "But that'll hurt my feet and my doctor says-"

"Dude, do you ever stop talking?" Nicky laughed when I sneered at him and we walked out of the dormitory together. It took about 20 minutes to get to the right fraternity house. When we arrived, the outside was covered in toilet paper and obnoxious sounds were coming from the house. I stopped before walking up the front steps.

"Nicky...I-I don't know if I can do this." Nicky turned and looked at me.

"What's the matter?"

"It's just...I-I've never...been to a party before." I mumbled the last bit.

"I'm sorry, you've never what?" I grunted in frustration.

"I've never been to a party before...I'm a little scared..." Nicky half smiled and patted my shoulder reassuringly.

"Hey, don't be scared." He held his hand out to me. "I'll be here, right by your side to hold your hand through the whole thing." I blushed and took his hand.

"R-Really?" Nicky nodded.

"Sure pal! Baby steps!" He smiled at me, and I half smiled back. He walked with me trailing behind him, hand in hand. The house was much more insane than it looked on the outside. There were people running around, screaming, cheering, drinking. I felt like I had just entered a zoo filled with rabid animals. People kept bumping into me as they passed by, dizzy and disoriented. I stood closer to Nicky and held his hand tight, like a child in a crowded mall, not wanting to get separated from their mother.

"Nicky, I-I don't feel comfortable. I wanna go back to the dorm." Nicky took me into a room filled with people dancing.

"Don't worry," He said over the loud music, "It'll be okay! Just have fun and dance!" Nicky began to dance badly and I laughed at him.

"What are you doing?" I asked laughing.

"What's it look like?"

"It looks like you have to go to the bathroom really badly." Nicky laughed with me.

"Like you can do better!"

"Oh just watch me!" And with that, I was dancing along with Nicky. We both looked like a bunch of awkward constipated penguins, but we didn't care. It seemed only a few moments went by, but in reality, hours passed. I looked at my digital watch, 9:25pm. It was almost time for Nicky to express his love for his special someone.

"Nicky, the time!" Nicky looked at my watch and gasped.

"You're right! And I think I see the person I'm looking for right now." I squealed with delight. Then suddenly, the music became slow and steady. Nicky smiled at me and I smiled back.

"This is it!" I thought, "The moment of my dreams!" Just when I thought Nicky was going to sweep me off my feet, he moved me aside and approached a girl behind me. She was dressed in a tight see-through shirt that exposed her large breasts. Her hair was long and curly with a bleach blonde color. Her face was smothered in makeup with plump, fake-looking lips. She looked like a even sluttier version of britney spears from the "Hit Me Baby One More Time" music video.

"Lucille," said Nicky when he finished his serenade, "would like to go steady with me?" Lucille tapped her long acrylic nails against the wall, then smirked.

"Alright Nicky," she said, running her claws across his cheek. "I'll go steady with you." My heart snapped in two. I couldn't believe I was stupid enough to believe that Nicky felt that way about me! I ran out of the dancefloor and into the bathroom before anyone could see me. I slammed the door shut and leaned my back up against it. I slowly slid down the door onto the floor, hugging my knees to my chest. I stayed into the bathroom for the rest of the party. I didn't feel like having fun anymore...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

When I came out of the bathroom, the party was practically over. There were a few people dancing here and there, but most of the party guests were laying on the couches and the floor passed out or drunk. I couldn't tell which. I looked at my watch, 10:32pm. I had to get out of here if I wanted to get enough sleep for tomorrow. I searched around the fraternity house for Nicky, softly calling his name as to not wake up any of the unconscious partygoers. After getting no results, I got the strength to ask someone if they had seen him.

"Nicky left about 20 minutes ago," said Johnny, who I discovered was a friend of Nicky's. I sighed sadly.

"Thanks Johnny. I guess I better go now. Hey, do you know how to get back to the dormitories from here? I walked here with Nicky, but I have no clue how to get back." Johnny nodded and put his red drink cup down.

"I'll drive you, it's about a few minutes away." I looked at his red cup.

"You've been drinking."

"Well, yeah, but this is the only drink I've had all night." I rolled my eyes.

"I'd rather walk than be in a car with a drunk driver. Tonight would be a really shitty night for me to die."

"How about you drive and I'll tell you where to go?" I thought about this proposal for a minute, then nodded in agreement. It seemed practical. Lucky for me, Johnny was sober enough to give me the CORRECT directions and I got back to the dormitory safely. I thanked Johnny for the ride and mentally prayed that nothing bad would happen to him on his drive back. I walked up the stairs and back to Nicky's and my dorm. I knocked on the door, but no answer.

"Nicky?" I called as I knocked. "Nicky, it's me, Rod!" I knocked some more, but still no answer. I was getting angry now. Suddenly, I heard a loud thump come from the inside. I put my ear to the door and listened. I could hear moaning and groaning, small giggles in between each breath. I growled and turned the doorknob, bursting into the room in absolute anger. I was even more enraged when I caught sight of Nicky and Lucille making out passionately on his bed.

"What the hell is going on?!" I shrieked shrilly. Lucille turned to look at me with a smirk on her face, while Nicky gasped at the sight of me.

"What's it look like, sugar?" I clenched my fists in complete and utter rage.

"Rod," said Nicky, laying underneath Lucille, "can you give us a sec, buddy? Lucille and I were having a moment." I smiled a deranged smile, my eye twitching with pent up fury.

"OH! OF COURSE!" I looked down at the digital watch on my wrist. "ONE! Okay! I gave you a second! Bye Lucille!" Nicky scowled and stood up in front of me.

"What's your problem, Rod?"

"Problem?! What problem?! I don't have a problem!"

"Oh yes," said Nicky sarcastically, "I can see that."

"I don't! Don't talk to me like I'm hysterical, Nicky! Now get her out of here this instant!"

"No! She's my girlfriend and she's spending the night!" I grinded my teeth in rage.

"Easy baby boy," Lucille stood up and massaged Nicky's shoulders. "Don't let him get you angry, he's just jealous of you." I huffed.

"Jealous?! I most certainly am NOT jealous!"

"Then why are you getting so upset, hmmm?" Nicky looked me straight in the eyes, anger pulsating in his pupils. "I like you, so I'm gonna warn you right now, okay? I've had 'pals' who have taken my girl away before and I will not let it happen again. Lucille is my girl, get it?" I gulped. I had never seen Nicky so angry before.

"Oh trust me," I said, "she's not my type." From behind Nicky, Lucille smirked at me and blew me a kiss with a wink. I rolled my eyes. She made me feel like I wanted to throw up my organs. She looked like someone who's phone number would be written on a crappy high school's bathroom wall.

"Nicky baby?" She whined. "Why don't we check out a place for the night?" I felt my dinner coming back up my esophagus. "Then your roommate can be alone." Nicky looked at me, then looked at Lucille.

"That's a great idea, Lucille. I'll grab a few things and we'll go." I gasped softly so only I could hear. Lucille smiled devilishly at me as Nicky went into the bathroom.

"What?" I snapped at her, "Why are you smiling at me?"

"Oh no reason, sweetie." She said, making me sick to my stomach. "Just checking you out. Thinking."

"Oh that's good," I replied sharply. "I didn't know you were capable of thought." She chuckled.

"You think you're so smart, don't you Ginger?"

"A dog is so smart to you, isn't it?" She laughed.

"You act so smart now," she said, "but if I were you, I'd start acting more like a gentleman to me."

"And why is that, Madame Prostitute?" Lucille grabbed my shirt collar and pulled me so that I was looking at her, nose to nose.

"Listen nerd," she growled, "I can make your life a living hell in seconds if I wanted to." I gulped.

"I-I'm not scared of you." Lucille looked me directly in my eyes.

"You should be, Harry Potter. I've become an expert in this sorta thing. Unless you want Nicky to hate you with a deep passion, I'd start being nice to me." I huffed.

"Nicky would never hate me."

"Well then," she leaned in close to me, whispering in my ear, "what if he knew your dirty little secret?" I blushed bright red. "That's right curly fry, I know. I could tell as soon as you looked at me with disgust instead of a boner." My eyes darted left and right.

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about!" I shouted. "I'll tolerate you! Just go and be with Nicky already!" Lucille smiled.

"That's a good boy," Lucille pushed me down on my bed and met Nicky at the door. "I'm ready baby, I hope you are." She winked at Nicky, making him blush bright red. They left me alone in the dorm...It was quiet and peaceful. At first I was glad that I had some peace and quiet to finish my homework and assignments. Plus I finally had the chance to finish the novel I was reading. But after a few hours...I got really really lonely. I thought a lot about Nicky and Lucille. I thought even more about what Lucille said to me. I put my book down on the bed in frustration and went into the bathroom. I looked to see if anyone was around, listened if anyone was walking close to the dorm, but I heard nothing. I went back in the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Lucille's words and mockery echoed through my mind.

"Nerd, Harry Potter, Ginger, Curly Fry" I took my glasses off and ran my fingers through my hair, releasing it from its gel prison, causing it to fall in front and to the side of my face. I moved the stray pieces that fell in my eye to behind my ear.

"What is so special about Lucille?" I thought. I loosened my tie and opened the collar of my shirt. "I'm just as good as her...aren't I?" I put my hand against the mirror, looking at the new image I had given myself. I looked like a totally different person, but...I felt so free. I smiled and giggled softly. I thought about looking like this all the time, so messy and, if I do say so myself, like a rockstar. Maybe, maybe if Nicky saw me like this, not uptight like he thinks...maybe he'd change his mind about Lucille. But suddenly, I saw my father in the mirror.

"Rodney! What are you doing?" He yelled at me. "You look just like one of THOSE people! No son of mine will go about looking like one of the devil's children!" I winced, closed my eyes tight, and shook my head. I opened my eyes and saw that my father was gone, but I was frightened by own reflection. Terrified of my own thoughts, my own feelings. I felt my eyes tearing up and began to fix my tie, my hair, and placed my glasses back on my face. I sighed looking at myself. I felt like I was playing a part in a play, but I knew I shouldn't feel that way. I knew I should've felt normal, not upset at all. I looked down, rubbing my arms, then walked back into the bedroom. I sat on the bed and closed my eyes. I held my Romeo and Juliet book close to my heart, imagining what it must be like to have someone who loves you so much that they'd die just to be with you. I began to sing softly to myself. Secretly, I loved singing. It always calmed me down and helped me cope with things.

_"Oh, I'm such a fool, I can't be free...No escape from the storm inside of me...Don't let them in...Don't let them see...Be the good boy, you always have to be...Conceal...Don't feel...Put on a show. Make one wrong move and everyone will know..."_ I held my book tighter to my chest as tears dripped silently down my cheeks. I laid on my bed, slowly falling asleep to the sound of my thoughts.

_"Lucille is my girl, get it?"_

_"Unless you want Nicky to hate you with a deep passion, I'd start being nice to me"_

_"You look just like one of those people!"_

_"What's your problem, Rod?"_

_"What if he knew your dirty little secret?"_

_"Conceal...don't feel...Conceal...don't feel...conceal...conceal..."_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Two months had passed, winter break was on its way, and Nicky and Lucille were still together. I had managed to keep my feelings for Nicky under wraps, but I still had hoped that Nicky would come to his senses and see that Lucille was wrong for him. Unfortunately for my sanity, that was not the case. They had been "in love" ever since the night of the party. It was SO annoying! Everyday after classes, Nicky would come back to the dorm and talk about the "wonderful day" he had with Lucille. And everyday I would think of a new snarky comeback to respond with. It was absolutely sickening. Lucille had all her classes changed to have the same schedule as Nicky! I was surprised she actually got into college. Probably screwed around with the admissions counselor.

The Thursday before break, I was laying in bed after a long and harsh day of studying. I had to give three different presentations for three separate projects in three separate classes, all of which I worked on by myself. I was on the phone with my friend from back home, Kate. Kate and I were both misfits in high school, but we never let each other down when one of us needed help. We talked a lot about what we wanted to do with our lives and about how someday we'd be successful. Kate told me about how she was studying to become a teacher a couple of states away. I told her about my major in business.

"Just like your dad!" She said. "The business major really suits you. I can see you now, doing people's taxes, making deals on Wall Street!" We both laughed and I blushed even though Kate couldn't see me over the phone.

"You're too kind, Kate," I replied as I turned to my side on the bed to look out the window. "I bet you'll make a wonderful teacher. You were always so sweet when it came to children."

"Aw thanks Rod!" Kate giggled. "I hope one day to open up my own school for underprivileged kids."

"You're truly a saint. Soon I'll have to call you Mother Kate." I snorted with laughter and Kate giggled.

"You're making me blush, Rod! Anyway, how's life in the dorms? You got a nice roommate?" I swooned.

"Oh he's nice all right."

"Huh?" Kate snapped me back to reality. I cleared my throat.

"I-I-I um, mean," I changed my tone to sound more irritated, "he's nice all right."

"What's wrong?" Asked Kate concerned. "Is he mean to you?" I sighed.

"No, I mean, I don't know. He used to be really nice to me, but now all he cares about is his girlfriend. She's such a tramp too! You should see her, Kate."

"Hmmm," said Kate, "I'm all for a guy a who cares about his girl, but if I were her, I'd never let him treat his friends badly just because of me. Why don't you talk with her? Maybe she'll understand."

"You don't get it, Kate," I said, sitting up on my bed, "She _loves_ the attention from Nicky. She practically feeds off of it."

"Ohhhhh, she's that kind of girl."

"Mmhmm. And Nicky is so irritating about it. He talks about her non-stop while I'm trying to read!" I grunted and laid back on the mantel of the bed.

"Sounds like a real power couple."

"Teehee."

"Hey, no need for sarcasm, Rod." I looked out the window and saw Nicky and Lucille walking towards the dormitories, hand in hand, smiling at each other, Lucille resting her head on Nicky's shoulder. "Rod? You still there?"

"Kate," I said softly, "can I ask you for some advice?"

"Sure Rod, ask away!" I put my hand against the window, condensation forming around my fingers as I watched Nicky hold the door to the dorms open for Lucille.

"If you really really liked someone, what would you do? Would you tell them? Even if they already had someone?"

"Ohhhh," I could almost hear Kate biting her nails, "I'm not the right person for relationship advice...but, um, I guess, if the person I liked already had a girlfriend, I don't think I would tell him until I felt the time is right. Until I felt right, you know? When the time is right, I'm sure you'll know what to say to this girl."

"Yeah...girl...right." Our telephone conversation was interrupted by the sound of banging against the door of my dorm. "Listen Kate, Nicky and Lucille are back from their," I made a gagging sound, "date. I'll call you later, sweetie. Have a great winter break! Promise to come and visit?" Kate giggled.

"I promise. Bye Rod!" Kate hung up and I placed the phone back on the receiver. The knocking on the door became louder and louder.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I shouted. "Keep your panties on!" I unlocked the door and Lucille burst through the door, hitting me in the face.

"Took you long enough! We were waiting in the hall for hours!"

"Ow..." I winced as I rubbed my nose to keep it from swelling. The last thing I needed was another reason for people to mock me. Surprisingly, Nicky looked away from Lucille and came over to me.

"Hey buddy, are you okay?" I turned away from Nicky with a huff.

"What do you care? Just leave me alone."

"Yeah, but Rod-"

"I said leave me alone Nicky!" I looked down and mumbled to myself, "I'm already in enough pain..." I went over to the mini-fridge, took out an ice pack, then placed it on my nose.

"Aww," said Lucille mockingly, "did baby hurt himself?" I growled at her in anger. I swear I could feel the steam coming out of my ears.

"Lucille," said Nicky, "don't call Rod a baby." Lucille rolled her eyes and laid down on Nicky's bed.

"Oh my special baby," whined Lucille, "Come here so you can hold me!" Her annoying voice pierced my eardrums. Nicky did as he was told and sat on his bed, wrapping his arms around his sorry excuse for a girlfriend. They whispered sweet nothings to each other, giggled, and kissed. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my books.

"Well, if you're just gonna take over the dorm for the night to do God knows what, I will be taking my leave."

"Rod don't be like that," said Nicky as he got up from the bed, "We came over to come and get you. We wanted to invite you to come ice skating with us. I thought it'd be fun to do something together. You know, me, my girlfriend, and my bestest buddy! Whataya say?" I turned away and opened up one of my books.

"No thank you. I'd prefer not." Nicky pouted dramatically.

"But it won't be fun without you, Rod."

"Pfft, you've been fine without me all this time. Why would now make a difference?" I put my book up over my face so no one could see me frown. Nicky sighed.

"Gee, I guess I didn't think about it that way...I'm really sorry, pal. I wasn't thinking about how me doing all these things with Lucy would make ya feel." I lifted my face out of my book and turned to look at Nicky.

"Huh?"

"Rod," Nicky put his right hand on my left shoulder, making me blush lightly, "lemme make it up to you today. Ice skating is really fun and I could use another arm to help hold Lucille up from falling."

"Oh good," I thought to myself, "It'd be a shame if she 'accidentally' fell."

"Please?" Nicky's eyes were focused on mine. Oh lord, they were so enchanting. I looked down quick, trying to hide my blush.

"I-I don't know how to skate either..."

"I'll teach you. It'll be easy!" I thought about what would happen if I did go with them. All I would see the whole time is Nicky holding Lucille, her falling into his arms, them cuddling as a romantic ballad would play. I couldn't bear that...

"No, no I can't. I'll fall and if Lucille can't skate either, then I shouldn't go...She'll need your every bit of attention..." Nicky lifted up my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"Are you sure?" I blushed more and nodded sadly.

"Yes..." I said softly. "Yes I'm sure. Besides, I wanted to catch up on my reading anyway." Nicky didn't look happy, but Lucille grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door.

"C'mon babe, the rink closes in a couple hours!"

"Oh, yeah, okay. Catch you later, Rod." I gave a quick wave to Nicky as Lucille pulled him out the door. I sighed and threw myself onto my freshly made bed. I picked up the telephone and dialed Kate's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey Kate, it's me. Are you busy?"

"No I can talk. How'd it go with the person you really like? Did you talk to them?" I sighed again.

"Yeah..."

"What'd they say?" I paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

"H-, I mean, she wanted me to go ice skating with her..."

"Why didn't you go?"

"Because I don't know how...and neither did her boyfriend..." Kate huffed.

"That's a dumb excuse, Rod." I put my hand on my forehead in exasperation.

"I know...but I also didn't wanna see him snuggling with her the whole time we skated. I didn't wanna be a third wheel, you know what I mean?"

"I feel you, brother." Hearing Kate say that with her sweet little voice made me chuckle. "Don't give up hope, though. I'm sure you'll reel her in any day now."

"I seriously doubt that."

"Why? You're just as good as any other guy." I mumbled quietly,

"But it's not guys he's into...Thanks Kate, but I don't know I could prove to hi-, I mean, prove to _her_ that I'm a better person than what she has. Especially when her boyfriend is always around to pull her away from me."

"Hmmm...maybe try to talk to her when she's alone. Bond a bit more, you know?" I shrugged.

"It can't hurt to try."

"That's a good attitude! And if that doesn't work, I'd try reverse psychology."

"Reverse psycho-what now?" Kate giggled.

"Reverse psychology! It's what girls do when they want a guy to notice them." I jerked myself up so that I was sitting upright on my bed.

"And that works?!" Kate laughed.

"Yeah most of the time."

"How?!"

"Whoa, simmer down there." I blushed in embarrassment. "What you need to do is act like you don't care about her. Act like she's trivial or uninteresting to you. Then, if it works, they'll get frustrated and become caught up in trying to get your attention and to impress you. Once that happens, you give in to them little by little. Then, if everything goes well, poof! Instant relationship!"

"You make it sound so easy, Kate!" I could imagine Kate blushing as she held the phone.

"Oh, well, I've never really tried it out, but it's worked for my friends." I smiled.

"I'll definitely give it a try! Thank you Kate."

"I hope it works out for you, Rod. You deserve it!"

"You do too. Before you know it there will be a guy begging on his knees for you."

"I sure as hell hope so!" We both laughed for a solid 5 minutes, but then Kate said, "I need to go, Rod. I got a project due after break that I wanna get a head start on. Talk to you soon! Bye!"

"Bye sweetie!" I hung up and put the phone back on the receiver. I sighed deeply, staring at the ceiling.

"I hope Kate knows what she's talking about..."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Nicky came home from the ice skating rink at exactly 10:05pm. He walked in with a smile and threw himself on his bed with a happy sigh.

"Ever been in love, Rod?" I rolled my eyes and continued reading my book. "It's the most wonderful feeling in the whole world!" Continued Nicky. "It feels like you're on a sugar rush and drunk at the same time!" I was getting annoyed. I decided to say something before he kept going.

"'Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.'" Nicky turned his head and looked at me in a lovestruck daze.

"What'd you say?"

"Oh nothing," I said, getting back into my book, "just a quote from Robert Frost."

"Robert who?" I began to wonder how Nicky earned his high school diploma.

"Just one of the most famous American poets of all time, no one special." Nicky chuckled.

"You're so sarcastic."

"Yeah well, you'd be too if you were trying to do something and someone kept bothering you!"

"I didn't mean to bother you, Rod." Nicky sighed blissfully. "I just couldn't hold it in anymore!" Nicky laughed and looked up at the ceiling in annoyance. "You'd understand if you were in love, Rod." I grunted and closed my book in anger.

"Just forget it! I'll read tomorrow!" I put my book on the nightstand and pulled the covers over myself, turning away from Nicky.

"Rod?"

"Yes Nicky?" I said, aggravated beyond belief, still facing the wall and not him.

"What book were you reading anyway?"

"It's called,_ Shadow of a Doubt, by A.A. Raven._"

"What's it about?" I pulled the covers off of me a little and sat up against the mantel.

"Well, in short, it's about a boy who falls in love with this girl who turns out to be from a family that rivals his own in business, making his love for the girl forbidden. However, they frequently meet in secret despite their parents disapproval. Earlier today I got to the part where they plan to run away so they can be together forever without any judgements." I swooned as I imagined the scenario in my mind. I was a hopeless romantic at heart, I just couldn't help it. "Wait a minute," I snapped myself out of my daydream and looked at Nicky, "why do you care?" Nicky shrugged and scratched the back of his head.

"Gee, I don't know. I just thought instead of hearing me ramble on and on about stuff I care about, I'd give you a chance to ramble." I raised my right eyebrow at him, letting my facial expression speak for itself. "Did I say 'ramble'? I meant, you know, um...talk! Yeah!"

"Are you sure you can handle listening for a change? Because I could go on for a while." Nicky threw his pillow at my face. It smelt just like his cologne, musky yet delicious.

"Shut up, Rod!" He laughed. "I'm very capable of listening! In fact, you can even quiz me afterward to prove it!" I smirked at him.

"Challenge accepted." I cleared my throat and grabbed my book off the nightstand. "Let's see...where to begin..."

"Is this book your favorite?"

"One of my favorites," I replied, "I've read it like thirty times! It's third in line underneath _Romeo and Juliet_ and _Broadway Musicals of the 1940's_."

"Hey!" Nicky jumped up from his bed. "I know _Romeo and Juliet_! I read it in high school!" I chuckled.

"By force, no doubt." Nicky threw another one of his pillows at me, making me laugh more.

"I remember it cause my teacher made us act it out in class. That was the worst."

"What part did you play?" I asked with genuine curiosity. "Tybalt? Mercutio?"

"Nah, I got to play Romeo." I smiled a little as I imagined Nicky dressed as Romeo, bravely scaling a marble tower to get to me. I sighed softly.

"I bet you were perfect." Nicky laughed and I quickly shook myself out of my daze before Nicky could notice.

"No way! I was terrible at memorizing the lines and my friend would make me laugh as I said the lines I remembered." I laughed softly.

"I wish I could've been there."

"To watch me fail? Thanks, pal."

"No! I'd do what I could to help you remember the lines. Maybe I'd hold up cue cards!" Nicky and I laughed for a few minutes, enjoying each others company for once in a long time. We went on like that for about an hour. Nicky kept asking me questions about my books and after I answered, I'd quiz him on what I just said. Every now and then he'd forget the name of a play or a character, but other than that he did surprisingly better than I thought. After our laughter died out from teasing each other on little things we said or did, I felt comfortable enough to ask the question that plagued my mind each and every day.

"Nicky, what do you see in Lucille? I mean, what about her makes you so in love?" Nicky sighed and looked up at the ceiling with a smile.

"Where do I begin? Well, first off, she's got like a picture perfect body." I rolled my eyes and huffed. "She's also got a really sexy smile. Her skin is really soft and she always smells like daisies. Oh! When we kiss, she makes this really cute squeaking noise." I felt like gagging, but I noticed that everything Nicky had mentioned were physical traits.

"Don't you like other things about her?" Nicky tilted his head in confusion.

"I just said some. Gee Rod, looks like you're the one who needs to listen now! Hahaha!" I half-smiled awkwardly, but pushed on.

"I was listening, but I meant that all the things you mentioned about Lucille were physical things. You know, how she looks and stuff about her appearance. I meant to ask, 'what things do you like about her personality?'"

"She's really nice! She makes me feel like I'm needed."

"How so?"

"Well, when we go out, she always asks me to do things for her and she always tells me how she'd be lost without me and that I'm the most important person to her. It feels...weird. I've never had someone tell me things like that before. All I've ever been told is that I'm worthless or useless...that I'd never amount to anything..." I looked down at my hands and tapped them together awkwardly. I didn't know Nicky had such strong feelings for Lucille. Honestly, I figured it was all for the physical things. Nicky sighed happily. "And as soon as I'm finished with college and got a career going, she'll be making me feel that way forever." I immediately snapped my head up and looked at Nicky, my eyes bugging out of my head.

"F-Forever? What do you mean by forever?!" Nicky looked at me, blushing lightly.

"Well, I mean, how else do you get someone you love to be around you forever?" My jaw hit the floor.

"Are you seriously considering marriage?!"

"Why do you sound so appalled?" Nicky sounded angry.

"You can't marry her! You're too young for marriage! You're only 19 years old!"

"You're not my mother, Rod! You can't tell me what I can and can't do! Besides, I said I'd wait till I was out of college and have a job."

"But you can't just date her for a couple months and decide she's wife material!" Nicky stood up from his bed and faced me.

"Why not? I love her!" I growled and stood up from my bed, giving Nicky a death stare as I argued.

"What makes you so sure she loves you back?!"

"I know she does! She always says we're meant to be!" Nicky and I were nose to nose, yelling at each other.

"People lie, Nicky! How can you be so naive?!"

"Why do you even care so much?!" I blushed, but I wasn't sure if it was because I was infuriated or because I was embarrassed.

"I don't!"

"Then why are you even saying all this shit?!"

"B-Because I don't want you to throw your future away for some slut!"

"Shut up, Rod! Lucille is not a slut!"

"Oh please! It's practically tattooed across her forehead!"

"I said shut up!" Nicky pushed me hard onto the ground and I winced as the back of my head hit the floor. Nicky gasped as the sound of my head hitting the floor reached his ears. I rubbed the back of head, trying to prevent a bump that was bound to form. "R-Rod, buddy, I'm sorry! Here, lemme help you up!" Nicky reached out his hand to me to help me up, but I turned away and pushed his arm away. Tears were escaping my eyes no matter how hard I tried to keep them in. I hated myself for crying in front of him. My father always said that crying showed weakness, and I did not want to seem weak.

"I don't need your help, Nicky..."

"T-Then...at least lemme get you some ice!" Nicky was about to run over to the fridge to grab me an ice pack, but before he could I faced him and shouted,

"I don't want your help, Nicky! Just leave me alone!" I was panting out of exhaustion from the fight and from crying. Nicky stood frozen, his mouth open in a frown and his eyebrows lowered with sadness. I looked down and wiped my nose.

"Rod, I-I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," I said softly, "I pushed you...I can see Lucille is the only person you care about..." Nicky winced. "I was only trying to help you, but I won't help anymore...I'll just shut up..." I grabbed myself an ice pack and laid down in my bed. I slowly closed my eyes.

"Rod, I-"

"Nicky, I'm tired...I just want to sleep..."

"O-Oh...okay, Rod...Goodnight." I could feel streams of tears dripping down my cheeks, but I didn't even think twice about them. They shouldn't have been there, so I ignored them. I shouldn't have felt so...hurt...so...I ignored it. I knew I wasn't upset about Nicky pushing me...I think I was more upset that a night that started out so lovely was ruined because I was stupid enough to ask that question...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I sat alone on the campus fountain. I was on chapter 15 of my book, so very close to the end. I looked at my watch, 1:35pm. I sighed as I watched everyone around me. I don't know why, but every time I went out, I would see couples everywhere. It was like every student in the entire school had a hand to hold, a special someone who was willing to give them everything...except me. It was like that in high school too.

"Why can't I have that?" I wondered. "Why does everyone get to have someone special, but not me? I'm a good person, aren't I? I pay my student loan bills, I don't ask much from my parents, I respect teachers and the elderly, what more do I have to do?!" I grunted and put my face in my hands in frustration. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Nicky looking down on me.

"Hiya Rod. Mind if I sit next to you?" I turned away and crossed my arms. "I know you're mad at me," continued Nicky, "but I swear, I'll never push you or hurt you like that ever again. I swear!" I moved away from Nicky and readied myself to get up and leave. But before I could, Nicky grabbed my arm gently. "You can't run away from me forever, Rod. You're gonna have to talk to me someday and that day is today. Now please, accept my apology." I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"How can I?" I regretted speaking to Nicky, but I knew he wouldn't stop bothering me unless I did. "And even if I do forgive you, you're still going to ignore me and treat me like crap just because Lucille tells you to. So why bother?" I started walking away when out of nowhere, Nicky scooped me up in his arms. My body began to shake involuntarily and I blushed bright red. "N-NICKY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" My voice got even more shrill out of mortification. Nicky smiled at me.

"I'm gonna show you that Lucille isn't the only thing in the world that I care about. It really bothered me when you said that. It made me feel really shitty."

"Ok ok! I believe you! You don't have to show me anything! Now please put me down, Nicky!" I must've been as red as a tomato by then. "People are staring at us!" I hid my face in my book so no one could see me. Nicky looked around, side to side.

"I don't see anybody staring, Rod. You're just being paranoid."

"I am not paranoid!" Nicky laughed.

"Then look up and see."

"No! I refuse to look up! Everyone will laugh at us!"

"Why? What are we doing that's funny?"

"Please don't say 'we' and 'doing' in the same sentence when you're talking about you and I ever again..." Nicky laughed once again.

"You're so weird, Rod." He started walking and I fidgeted to try and break free from my prison of Nicky's arms.

"Lemme go!" Nicky shook his head and continued walking. I grunted and began punching Nicky's chest, hoping the pain would be enough to let me go. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

"That feels good," said Nicky with a chuckle, "go a little lower."

"Ugh! You're such a brute." I kept my head down as Nicky carried me to a place off campus.

"Hey Rod," he said, "I'm putting you down now." Nicky rested my feet against the ground and gently let me go.

"Finally!" I dusted myself off and unwrinkled my clothes. "I can't believe you did that!"

"It's not a big deal, Rod. Lotsa guys do it with their friends."

"Well...not this guy. I don't like it!"

"Okay, fine, whatever you say, Rod."

"Good."

"Now before you walk away angrily, why don't you see where I brought you." Nicky turned me around and had me facing a large brick building. There was a sign on the top that read, _Lawrence's Literature_.

"You brought me to a bookstore?" I said tilting my head slightly. "That was what this was all about. You humiliated me for a BOOKSTORE?!" Nicky gulped and kicked at the dirt under his shoes.

"Well, sorta, I mean, it isn't just a bookstore. They only sell books about love and music, which I know you like, so...I thought I would let you go in, pick whatever you want, and then I'd pay for it." I blushed lightly.

"Y-You're gonna buy books for me?" Nicky nodded. "Even though I've been so mean to you lately?"

"Well, yeah. I know you've only been mean because I haven't been a good friend, so I thought this would be a good way to say I'm sorry. And to show that I care about you and not just Lucille. Oh! And I'm also gonna clean the bathroom when we get back to the dorms. You always complain about how gross it is, so...I don't know." I bite my bottom lip.

"That's...that's so thoughtful. Thank you." Nicky smiled bright, his eyes glistening in the light of the sun.

"Naw, don't even mention it, Rod. You're a really cool guy and you do a lot for me without me asking and I appreciate that...I didn't wanna lose that...I really am sorry for being a jerk." I hugged Nicky tightly, not caring who saw me. I smiled a little as Nicky patted my back.

"You're a good friend, Nicky." Nicky blushed and took my arms off of him.

"Easy there, buddy. You're making me all red." I giggled softly and smiled at the ground as I let go of Nicky. "What are you waiting for? Go in and pick out some new books!" I smiled and walked inside the store. I picked out 5 books, that were on clearance of course, and happily returned to the dorms with Nicky. I was so glad Nicky and I were close again. I hated being so distant from him...When we got back, Lucille was waiting for us, resting upon Nicky's bed. She looked very irritated, tapping her acrylic nails against the nightstand.

"Hello, babe," she said, looking up at Nicky.

"Hi Lucille," replied Nicky. "What are you doing here?" Lucille stood up and wrapped her arms around Nicky's shoulders.

"Oh nothing really," she whispered seductively, "You just promised me that you would take me out shopping this morning so I came on over to come and get you. But when I got here," Lucille ran her index finger up Nicky's chin, "no one was home. I figured you went out to get food or something, so I waited. And I waited. And I waited. You were gone for an hour and a half. So tell me babe, did you forget about something?" Sweat ran down Nicky's forehead as he chuckled nervously.

"C-Come on Lucille," he stuttered, "I'd never forget about you."

"Oh yeah?" Lucille pushed Nicky away from her and turned her back on him. "Then how come I was sitting here waiting all morning for your insensitive grubby ass while you were out on a date with Captain Queer?" I growled and clenched my fists in anger.

"Listen sister," I said intervening in their argument, "I am not a...whatever it is you called me! And Nicky and I were not on a date! He was just doing something nice for me and he is not grubby! Or insensitive!" Lucille smirked at me.

"Oh you've got it so bad," she whispered, running one of her claws down my cheek. "Tell me, what does it feel like knowing you'll never get what you want? I've never had that feeling before." She laughed in my face and I swear my blood was steaming. "You poor, pathetic, insignificant little homo. Did you have a fun time today with Nicky? Did he say nice things to you? Did he do nice things for you? What lovely _friends_ you are. I'm sure he's such a great _friend_." She laughed more and I couldn't take it anymore.

"I am not a homo! I'm straight! I am!" Lucille chuckled and squished my cheeks with her hands.

"Prove it then, curlytop!" There was a knock on the door as Lucille continued to taunt me, only pushing me further into a rage. I felt like I was going to burst! Nicky opened the door and my friend Kate walked inside. But before she could even say hello, I grabbed her and pulled her into a deep and messy kiss. Kate tasted like mint and cherry lip balm. I didn't feel anything when I kissed her, which made me a little concerned...but I assumed that it was because we were just friends. Both Lucille and Kate were caught off guard. After a few seconds, I released Kate from our kiss and she was frozen like a statue, a look of complete shook painted upon her face.

"Uh, Rod?" Said Nicky awkwardly. "Who is that girl?" I panted, out of breath from my kiss with Kate, who was still processing what just happened.

"This is Kate Monster," I said, "My..." A lightbulb went off in my mind. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to me. "My girlfriend!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Nicky walked up to Kate and shook her hand. "Nice to meet ya, Kate!" He said with a smile. "Rod's a good guy!" Kate, still shocked by our kiss, reminded me of a zombie, shaking Nicky's hand slow and without a word. Lucille pushed Nicky out of the way and scanned Kate up and down, chuckling to herself.

"This is your sorry excuse for a girlfriend?" I nodded and hugged Kate tightly.

"Yup! This is my GIRLFRIEND! Kate is MY girlfriend! I love her so much, yes I do!" Lucille smirked and put her hands on her hips.

"I don't buy it."

"Well, it's true!" I said, aggravated. "Kate is my girlfriend and we love each other very very much!"

"Oh yeah?" Said Lucille. "Then how come she looks terrified." I turned and looked at Kate. It was true, she did look just a little frightened.

"Oh," I said, biting my lip, "well um...T-That's clearly because she is just so happy to see me again after all this time that she's speechless!" Lucille looked over at Nicky, her left eyebrow raised, looking very skeptical.

"Are you seeing this?" Nicky put his arm around Lucille.

"Aw, come on, Lucille!" He said, "I'm happy for Rod! Everyone deserves someone who makes them as happy as you do for me." I sighed quietly, making eye contact with the floor. "Say Rod," said Nicky, looking at me, "how about you, Kate, Lucille, and I have one of those double dates? It'll be fun!"

"Oh!" I said, nervously, "I-I don't know if we'd-"

"Why did you even bother asking, Nick?" Interrupted Lucille. "There's no way this poor girl is gonna keep up with this charade for much longer." I clenched my fists tightly in anger and raised my voice.

"There is no charade! We'd love to go on a double date with you two!" I gulped, realizing what I just agreed to. Lucille was right! There was no way Kate would pretend to be my girlfriend the whole time she was visiting!

"Great then!" Exclaimed Nicky in happiness. "How about that fancy French place, Chez Amour? Tonight at 8?" I smiled nervously, sweat dripping down my neck.

"Perfect!" Lucille smirked at me.

"I can't wait to see this. Anyway," she tugged on Nicky's arm, "come on, Nick. If we're going out, I'm gonna need a whole new wardrobe!" Nicky grunted and exclaimed,

"But I just took ya shopping yesterday!" as Lucille dragged him out the door.I sighed with relief as the door shut.

"Oh Jesus, that was a close one!" Kate, now unfrozen, spoke softly and tilted her head in confusion.

"Wha...what just happened?!" She grabbed my shirt and shook me back and forth. "What the hell, Rod?! We are not dating!"

"I know that!" I said, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. "But you weren't there! Lucille was saying...saying...s-saying...ugh!" I blushed bright red and grinded my teeth in anger. Kate sighed and patted my back gently.

"Easy, Rod. Breathe, let it all out." I took a deep, calming breath.

"She said I was...gay."

"Ohhhhhh," said Kate, "I get it now." I scowled at her, my arms crossed. I didn't appreciate her tone.

"What is that supposed to mean, Katherine?" Kate gulped.

"I meant uh, what?! Oh my god! How dare she say such a thing!"

"I know right?!" I threw my hands up in exasperation, grunted as I placed my glasses on the counter, sat on my bed, and hid my face in my hands. "What have I gotten myself into...What have I gotten you into...I'm so sorry, Kate." Kate sat next to me and rubbed my back to comfort me.

"Rod," she said softly, "I'm not angry, really. This Lucille girl is even more of a piece of work than I thought she was. I don't want her to think she was right about you-"

"Because she's not!" I grumbled into my hands.

"Right," replied Kate, "exactly...so, I'll pretend to be your girlfriend." I looked up from my hands and glanced at Kate.

"Y-You're gonna do this for me?" Kate smiled a little and nodded.

"Sure! Why not? Maybe it'll be fun. Plus, I can finally say I've had my first kiss." I blushed bright red.

"I was your first kiss?" Kate nodded. "I'm so sorry!" Kate laughed.

"Why?"

"It was so messy and random! A first kiss should be romantic and special. Something out of a fairytale! Something you'll always remember, something you tell your grandchildren about."

"Well, I guess this can be my 'what not to do' story for my grandkids!" Kate and I laughed and I hugged her tight. Kate hugged me back and said, "Rod, there is a small issue though."

"What's that, sweetie?" Kate bit her lip.

"I don't really know how to act like a girlfriend. All girls don't act like Lucille while they're in a relationship...do they?" I rolled my eyes.

"Oh please. She's like the poster child for gold diggers. You don't need to act like her. Just be yourself and everything will be perfect." Kate looked a little insecure, so I flashed her a smile to reassure her. She smiled back and I knew she felt better.

"So," said Kate standing up, "wanna help me look through my suitcase for something to wear to our 'double date'?"

"Oh of course!" I ran to the door, where her bags laid on the floor, picked them up and placed them on my bed. "How rude of me!" Kate giggled.

"Don't sweat it, Rod." Kate opened her suitcase and searched through the neatly packed piles of clothing inside it.

"How long are you visiting for?"

"A few days," replied Kate. "I wanted to have as much time I needed to do some bonding time with my buddy!" I laughed lightly, then coughed as to draw attention away from my laugh. I didn't like to laugh too much in front of other people. I worried that they would mock me for it. I knew Kate would never do that, but I still was insecure about it.

"Well, I'm really happy you're here. It's been rough trying to deal with stuff on my own..." Kate looked up from her suitcase at me.

"What kinda stuff? Is something going on?"

"No! No, nothing's going on! Why would something be going on?" Kate gave me a very skeptical look. I sighed.

"I'm just a little lonely...and it's hard not to feel that way when it's like everyone around me is in love..." Kate frowned and rubbed my shoulder in a comforting way.

"Hey," she said, "I know how you feel. Everyone gets lonely sometimes, but you know, you just gotta have patience. I know for sure that the person who was made for you is out there, you just haven't found them yet." I looked at her, smiling a little.

"You really think so?" She nodded with a bright and happy smile.

"I know so! You should have more confidence in yourself, Rod. Because you're like, the best and most amazing guy on this earth!" I giggled at that. "Besides, you're probably gonna grow up to be the richest businessman that's ever been, so everyone will wanna be with you." I blushed red and laughed as Kate ruffled my hair.

"Hey! I just fixed my hair!" We laughed and fell on my bed completely breathless.

"Well, I better go get ready for this dinner thing." Kate grabbed the dress from her suitcase and walked into the bathroom. As soon as I was sure she was out of view, I took my glasses off and put my face in my hands.

"I can't believe I did this...What was I thinking?"


End file.
